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Security Insights

Research, tutorials, and analysis to help you become a more effective security analyst.

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Dual-monitor workstation in a dark room showing code on an iMac and a landscape wallpaper on a second display, lit by a desk lamp

Best Practices

Best EDR Tools in 2026: What Each Console Shows You

Eight EDR tools compared on what each console shows an analyst, with plan names, public prices checked October 2026, and free and open source options.

Astrid Lindqvist21 min read
Green Matrix-style falling code characters cascading down a pure black background, representing data stream analysis and threat hunting

Best Practices

Threat Hunting Tools: 13 Picks With Working Queries (2026)

Threat hunting tools by layer: Sigma, YARA, KQL, SPL, Velociraptor, Sysmon, Zeek and six more, rechecked October 2026, with working queries.

Astrid Lindqvist28 min read
Silhouetted figures standing inside a dark immersive installation with cascading blue-white data lights falling like rain around them

Tutorials

SIEM Use Cases: 10 Every SOC Runs (With Detection Logic)

SIEM use cases explained with detection logic sketches, data sources, and tuning notes for the 10 detections every SOC team operates.

Astrid Lindqvist18 min read
Dark analytics dashboard on a tablet screen displaying colorful performance charts and session metrics against a black background

Best Practices

Best SIEM Tools in 2026: 12 Platforms Ranked

12 best SIEM tools for 2026, re-checked in September: Splunk under Cisco, QRadar SaaS moved to Cortex XSIAM, pricing models, and who each one fits.

Astrid Lindqvist26 min read
MacBook Pro on a dark desk with a colorful code editor open showing syntax-highlighted source code in a dark theme

Best Practices

Open Source SIEM: 7 Free Tools for Your Home Lab (2026)

Open source SIEM tools to self-host on Linux with Docker: Wazuh, OpenSearch and 5 more, with RAM specs and which licenses are truly open source.

Astrid Lindqvist20 min read
Hand holding a blue pen writing notes on paper at a wooden desk with a coffee mug and notebook beside it

Best Practices

Best Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners (2026)

Best cybersecurity certifications for beginners in 2026, ranked by ROI for SOC-bound career switchers. Honest costs, HR recognition, and skill signal per cert.

Astrid Lindqvist19 min read
Windows Security event log entries displayed in a SIEM console, showing event IDs for authentication and process activity

Tutorials

Windows Event IDs & Codes Cheat Sheet: The 31 That Matter

31 Windows event IDs and codes for triage, plus the field each SIEM calls them (EventCode, winlog.event_id, EventID) and a lookup by attack type.

Astrid Lindqvist20 min read
Network traffic analysis dashboard showing TCP and UDP port connections, firewall logs, and protocol distribution for SOC triage

Tutorials

Common Port Numbers Cheat Sheet: 42 Ports for SOC Triage

The 42 TCP/UDP port numbers SOC analysts read in firewall logs and SIEM alerts, what each one means in triage, and a printable cheat sheet image to save.

Astrid Lindqvist21 min read
Wax-sealed envelope beside a magnifying glass on a dark surface with a glowing phishing hook and orange code overlay in the background

Tutorials

How to Analyze a Phishing Email: SOC Walkthrough

A step-by-step SOC workflow to analyze a phishing email: safe handling, header forensics, URL and attachment triage, and a documented verdict.

Astrid Lindqvist18 min read